By Chris Erven

At the time of writing this article, it is February and there is not a lot going on in the way of concours. My car, like many others, is tucked away in the garage snuggled under its cover. I do not have a lot of work this winter since I will not be competing in concours events for the 2016 season, but some many members are spending this time to make improvements and to prep their vehicles for the upcoming events. One example is Manny Irula. In the fall, he sold his immaculate 2001 996 Turbo to replace it with a 1995 Carrera C2. Let me turn things over to him so he can tell his Porsche story.

A Porsche Love Affair
By Manny Irula
I was first attracted to the “sexy” lines of a Porsche while in college in the early 80s after accidently coming across a poster of a Porsche 930 Turbo. My best friend and I had purchased tickets for a multi-band concert, where Ozzy Osborn, Loverboy, Foreigner and a few others would be performing in the New Orleans City Park Stadium. For this reason, I was at a downtown art gallery looking for an Ozzy Osborn poster when the “whale tail” and unique and unmistakable silhouette of the black Porsche 930 Turbo caught my attention and thus began the inevitable platonic love affair. Of course, all I could afford at the time was that beautiful poster, which for many years, was the centerpiece of my bedroom.
It was not until 2010 that the opportunity presented itself and I was able to acquire my first Porsche, a 2001 Turbo Seal Gray with barely 10,000 miles on the odometer. Due to the nature of my job in law enforcement, I had been fortunate enough to have experienced high speed thrills. However, nothing could have prepared me for the exhilaration I felt, when out of curiosity, I “floored” my Turbo for the first time.
Subsequently, my wife Celia and I joined NNJR-PCA and the great enthusiasm and warm welcome of so many wonderful people made us feel very special, like members of a new family with similar respect, admiration and love for the brand. For me, the Porsche love affair was inexplicably taken to another level that only a “porschephile” would understand. In the club, I gradually gravitated towards rallies, social events and councours, which later became my preferred hobby.
Although my 996 Turbo was a tremendous pleasure to drive, for me, the fact that it had a tiptronic transmission limited the connection and sensation of a true sports car since as a teenager I learned how to drive a vehicle with manual transmission. Consequently as a young adult, my best driving experiences were always in cars equipped with manual transmissions.
In 2015, I was fortunate enough to procure what my kids nickname, “The Red Cheetah”, a gorgeous, unmolested, Guards Red 1995 Carrera 2, 6-speed manual. The Red Cheetah is currently undergoing extensive preparation for upcoming NNJR-PCA events, specifically autocross, rallies, social events and last but not least my favorite event, Concours d’Elegance, which now covers a diversified field of choices. I will see you there!